Game



J. DONLlN May 12, 1931.

GAME

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Filed March 15, 1929 ATTORNEY Ma 12, 1931. J; 'DONLI N 1,804,860

A TORNEY May 12, 1931. D WN 1,804,860

GAME

Filed March 15, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 72 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 12, 1931 UNITED sr;

res

:rorm noNLIN, or BROOKLYN, ew YORK Application filed March 15, 1929. "Sena 1303473 81.

' i lustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan'vi'ew of the invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a viewsimilar to Figure 2 taken on the line'8"3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan View of the entire invention and mechanism therefor.-

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the modified form of my invention.

Figure '6 is a longitudinal sectional view {taken through'tlre modification.

taken through one of the carriages employed in the modification.

Figure 8 is a vi'ew'similar to Figure 7 of a different form of carriage.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the reference character 10 indicates generally floor or platform upon which the present invention is mounted for use. The ends of the platform provide starting levels 11 and pits 12, the purpose of which 'be presently apparent. A rack, such as indicated at 13, is arranged upon the start- 5 'i'ngle'vel 11 to hold game "pieces of the configuration shown as at 14. p t

Carriages 15, having the wheels 16 therefor either grooved or flanged for transit upon track rails 17 carried by the platform or 'liooring :10, establish the means of connection.

Figure '7 is a longitudinal sectional view and transportation between the'level 11 and pits 12..

The operating mechanism for the carriages back and forward over the rails '17 comprises operating sha fts 18 and 19 respectively. Each i.

of said shafts carry pulley Wheels 20, over and between which are passed the looped "ends of endless belts or other connectors, such-as indicated at 21. It. is 'obvi'ohsly-apparent that when one 'offthe opera-ting shafts are 'under load, the companion-ate one is free to rotate inconjuncti'o'n therewith and vice versa.

, Inasmuch as the present form of game apparatus is likened to that of what is known as the potato race, it may be stated-at this unct'ure that the players seated inthe carriages 15 as v and traveling toward the pits 12are relieved.

of the burden of carrying the game pieces thereto and for-this reason, I have provided endless belts 22 operated from a shaft member 23having pulley Wheels 24 whereas the opposed looped ends ofthe belts are trained over pulley wheels 25 .jou-rnaled upon stub shafts 26 within the pits 12 in the mannershown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

Shoes 27, carried by and depending from the undersides of the carriages 15, are connected with the "adjacent portions of the chains or endless connectors 21 whereby the desired momentum may he imparted to the respective carriages to and from the level and pits. Y Partitions or separators of the configuration shown, as at 28 are arranged at spaced intervals and upon the outer sides of't'he belts 22 to provide pockets 29 therebetween to faci-lita-te accommodation of the game pieces 14. \Vall portions 30,;carried by. and upstanding from the platform 'or flooring 10 upon the opposite side edges of each of the belts "22, will prevent loss of the ame pieces while in transit to the pits 12. v From the illustration of m invention in Figure 2 of the drawings, it is clearly apparent that the helts 22 will lee-actuated with a higher degree of velocity in comparison to the chains of connectors '21 whereby thegame 15 in order that the game pieces will he de pieces 14 will travel faster than the carriages posited within the pits precedent to the arrival of the carriages and the occupants thereof.

The propulsion means comprises a motor or engine, such as indicated at 31, to one side of the flooring or platform 10, and which actuates a cone gearing system and connection in the nature of a relatively large gear 32, a bevel. gear 33 and a clutch face 34. The clutch face 34 is disposed adjacent a slidably mounted clutch element 35 upon the adjacent end of the operating shaft 18, for selective engagement therewith.

A connecting shaft 36 has bevel gears 37 and 38 upon the ends thereof which are con-' stantly meshed in engagement with the bevel gear 33 and a bevel gear 39 upon the operatin shaft19.

)efore setting the operating mechanism in motion each of the players or participants in the game go to the rack 13 and pick out one of the game pieces 14 corresponding in color and number to his carriage, seats himself and places his game piece within the pock ets 29 in the conveyor adjacent thereto. A push button, generally designated as at A and connected in circuit with a source of current 41 upon one side and a. lead wire 42 upon its opposite side connected in turn with a solenoid or magnetic coil 43, is then actuated to energize a contact portion 44 upon a clutch lever 45 operating the clutch element 35 where by driving connection may be established between the operating shaft 18 and the engine or motor 31. During the shifting movement of the clutch lever 45 toward the solenoid 48, a spring locking finger 46 is called into use to drop behind said lever when the latter occupies a remote position. In due'course, the game pieces, carriages and players will arrive at the pits and the latter are then re quired to get out of the carriages and descend to the pits to gather up the previously deposited game piece. Each of the players immediately returns to his or her carriage upon recovering the game pieces.

When each of the carriages reach their destinations, that is adjacent the pits 12, the Wheels 16 engage push button switches 47 which are in turnconnected in circuit with the lead wire 40 through the instrumentality of a cable 48 and a ire 49 to a solenoid coil 50 which releases or relinquishes contacting engagement of the spring latch finger 46 from operative engagement with that of the clutch lever 45. The push button switches 47 will cut ofl the operating mechanism and the carriages will automatically stop upon reaching the pits. Each of the players is to be given an equal chance to win the prize or to pile up the greatest number of points and 1n accomplishing this end I have provided control switches 51 joined in circuit with the source of current 41 after the manner of the switch A with the solenoids, mentioned in the foregoing. Solenoid coils are also included in the latter mentioned circuits for operating clutch levers to selectively reverse the direction of travel of the endless belts or connectors 21. Separate switches 51 are provided for each of the individual carriages whereby the players immediately upon returning to their respective carriages from the pit will be returned at equal speed toward the level 11. Immediately upon return of said carriages, it is incumbent upon each of the players to deposit his or her game piece within the rack 13. VVhomsoever of the contestants places his or her game piece in the rack 13 first wins the prize or gets credit for so many points, or other means of tabulating score. I

In Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, I have illiiistrated the modification off the present invention difit'ering in several respects as follows. Instead of the endless conveyors 22, as employed in the preferred form of my, invention for carrying the ame pieces to the pits and depositing same therein, tubular members 52 are employed for this purpose and are inclined from the level to the pit whereby the game pieces may gravitate thereto- The preferred form of carriage operating mechanism is also deleted inasmuch as the motive power for the modified form of carriage 53 includes motors 54 upon the axles therefor set in motion by a reversing switch 55. A handle lever 56, mounted for rocking movement with in the floor boards of the carriage, is connected with the switch arm of the reversing switch 55 through a drag link 57. A companion bumper bar and switch operating mechanism, such as indicated at 58, having heads 59 upon the opposed projecting ends thereof, employ compression springs to normally hold the switch arm of the reversing switch in neutral position. As evidenced from the illustration of the modified form of carriage in Figure 7 ofthe drawings, the bumper rods 58 and handle levers 56 are joined for simultaneous shifting movement at their points of intersection and connection generally designated as at 61.

In the modified form of game apparati'is the players of the game operate and set in motion their respective carriages and do not have to depend upon attendants to operate the switches 51 in the preferred form. The

bumper rods 58 are employed for the purpose of shutting off the motive power by breaking the circuit between the switch and motor upon contacting engagement of the faces 59 or 60 thereof with obstructions located adjacent the levels and pits whereby the participants of the game may jump in and out of the carriages and are relieved of the customary time expended in bringing the carriages to a step.

In Figure 8 of the drawings, an additional carriage is illustrated but the means of prollfi pulsion differs from either the preferred or modified form of the invention, in that the participants must supply the motive power themselves through the use and employment of a sprocket wheel 61 actuating an axle sprocket gear 62 by a sprocket chain 63 passed thereover. In other words, the burden in the winning of the game is wholly dependent upon the physical resources of the contestants themselves.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction, and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 5 v 1. A game apparatus comprising a platform having levels and pits respectively at the ends thereof, track sections arranged upon the platform, vehicles mounted for oscillatory movement upon said tracks and forming the means of communication between the levels and pits, operating shafts disposed adjacent the ends of said tracks, pulley wheels loosely and fixedly mounted upon the operating shafts respectively, clutch mechanisms for both the fixedly connected pulley equipped operating shaft and the loosely mounted pulleys, an operating mechanism having connection with said shafts, and switch memberslocated in the paths of movement of saidvehicles upon the tracks to stop said vehicles upon reaching the ends of the tracks.

2. A game apparatus comprising a platform having levels and pits respectively at the ends thereof, track sections arranged upon the platform, vehicles mounted for oscillatory I movement upon said tracks and forming the means of communication between the levels and pits, operating shafts disposed adjacent the ends of said tracks, pulley wheels loosely and fixedly mounted upon the-operating shafts respectively, endless connectors passed over said pulleys and connected with said vehicles, clutch members forthe fixedlyconnected pulley equipped operating shaft and the loosely connected pulley wheels, clutch levers for each of the clutch members, locking fingers arranged adjacent the'free ends of the clutch levers, solenoids disposed adjacent each of the locking fingers, an operating mechanism having connection with the opcrating shafts, and switch members connected in circuit with the solenoid coils and located in the paths of movement of said vehicles to energize the locking fingers and release the clutch fingers whereby the vehicles will be stopped upon the occasion of their reaching the pits and levels.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN DONLIN. 

